Fire-kindler



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN MEIL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FIRE-KINDLER.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,268, dated June 16, 1885.

(Specimensl To (Li/l wiwm zit 1m (1/ concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN MEIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Fire-Kindliug, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in the kindlers.

The invention consists in a fire-kindler formed solely of fire-clay, treated in the man ner hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Heretofore when tireclay has been used for fire-kindlers it has been incorporated with inflammable material like sawdust, and which will burn out in burning the block and increase the porosity thereof. This has been necessitated by reason of the short period of time in which the bodies of clay have been heretofore subjected to the heat, varying from a few minutes to about forty-eight hours. This short period of time fails to so thoroughly burn out the combustible material contained in the fire-clay as to render same sufiiciently porous to serve its purpose without the addition thereto of such material as sawdust, or the like, which will readily burn out.

Another objection to this short period of burning is that it fails to so thoroughly bake the clay as to render same capable of withstanding the intense heat generated by the lighted kerosene burning within and without.

To avoid the defects and objections before stated I subject the clay block to a period of burningofaboutsixorsevendays. Thislongconti nued bu rni n g operates to thoroughly burn out all the inherent combustible material in the clay, rendering the same sntliciently porone to carry enough oil to accomplish the purpose, and atthe same time renders such body or block sut'ticiently strong to withstand the intense heat to which it is subjected, both by the burning of the oil and by the heat of the tire, as ordinarily the kindler is intended for use in the following manner: I light it and place it in the stove, and then place the fuel on it and let the block remain until the tire has gone out, when it may be removed and reused.

The tire-kindlers heretofore patented have been intended simply to be applied to the tire until it has kindled, when they must be removed, as they will not stand remaining in the tire. This requires the operator to stand and hold the kindler until the tire has lighted. My kindler obviates this dit'lienlty, as will be seen. To facilitate the removal of the block or body I prefer to form it with an opening to receive the point of a hook.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As an improved article of manufacture, a tire-kindler consisting solely of tireclay treated substantially in the manner set forth, and for the purposes specified.

JOHN M EIL.

\Vit nesses:

Enwrtno S'rUMrr, G. F. SOHAFFER. 

